Skyward Sword’s narrative is one that plays with our emotions. From the beginning of the heroic quest, Link is constantly told he isn’t good enough. He couldn’t save Zelda. He was too late. Both you and him have to say goodbye. Over and over again, Link fails to protect the one person he cares most about.
It’s not easy to be a hero. Especially one destined to save both the Surface and the Sky from the greatest evil Hylia’s lands has ever seen. And while Link is the embodiment of courage and holds within them the spirit of the hero, as French artist Jeananas says, “Sometimes, the hero needs to be saved.”
The Link in Skyward Sword is one of the more expressive Links in the Legend of Zelda series. Jeananas’s digital artwork titled “Not Always a Hero” captures the tearful emotions Link, and by proxy us, experiences in our journey to find and save his childhood best friend, Zelda. Curled up into a ball, tears cascade down Link’s face. Paired with a muted color scheme, the artwork mirrors the sorrow burying its way through our hearts. But it is not Link who steals the spotlight in this piece.
The spirit of Zelda adorned in her white goddess clothing consumes the space, embracing Link as if to remind us, she’s not gone. Her spirit and soul may be trapped in the same unrelenting destiny, carrying the burden of a goddess, but Link isn’t just the hero foretold to save her from the great evil, he’s also her friend. Jeananas’ depiction of Zelda shapes her eyes with the same guilt and sorrow of the legendary girl, but her positioning wrapped around the hero provides a warmth in an otherwise cold piece. Zelda’s spirit hugging Link is like the game hugging the player, telling us it’s okay to cry. It’s okay to have all the feels and spend a moment for ourselves.
The Master Sword is noticeably absent from the artwork. While the sheath sits on Link’s back, there is no sign of the sword nor the spirit within. The lack of the companion emphasises that in this moment, Link isn’t the hero brandishing the legendary sword through hoards of monsters. Link is just a boy who has lost his friend. Because at the end of the day, even heroes need their friends.
